Dating Around (2018) s02e05 Episode Script
Brandon
1
["Don't Wanna Go Home"
by Tom Waits playing]
Oh, darling ♪
Since we met ♪
I can't sleep ♪
[mom] I would like to see my son
be happy and settled down.
He's had two really close relationships,
so I think he's scared to put his heart
back out there for it to be broken again.
Hey, how's it going?
And I don't wanna go home ♪
[man] I've known Brandon
for a few years now,
and I think he's so focused
on looking for the right guy
that he misses the great guys
that are right in front of him.
He is sarcastic
and he will poke fun at you,
but he's also probably
the nicest person that I've met,
and I don't know that he has found a match
yet that can complement him in both ways.
[song continues]
[mom] It's been very hard for him to
find the right one,
but I'm sure he's out there somewhere.
Hopefully he'll find true love soon.
Hi.
[Justin] Hey.
Are you my date?
[chuckles] I am. I'm Justin.
Justin, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- How are you?
I'm good.
You have a nice little smile.
I like this color.
Thank you. I like this jacket.
That's a good jacket.
You know,
it's a little somethin'-somethin'.
- [chuckles]
- You want to go inside?
- Yeah, let's do it.
- All right.
How are you feeling?
I'm good, how are you?
I'm a little nervous. It feels
But it's a good nervous, you know?
It'll be nice.
I'm excited, you know,
to get to know you more.
[Justin] Yeah. Into it.
Yeah? Let's see
what else you're into, then.
[both chuckling]
So nice in here.
It is so nice in here.
[grunts] I like your little purse.
Or is it a clutch?
I would say it's a clutch. [laughs]
I always gotta have a clutch.
[laughs] What do you have in here?
- Good evening.
- Hey!
- [bartender] How you doing?
- Good.
- What do you wanna drink?
- I love your hair.
- [bartender] Thank you.
- I'm gonna do a dirty, dirty martini.
- Dirty, dirty.
- With vermouth.
- You like it dirty?
- I do. [laughs]
Your drinks Just your drinks?
- Just my drinks.
- Okay.
Hi. [laughs]
How are you doing?
Hi, how are you?
- I'm good.
- You're so handsome.
- Thank you.
- Hi, Ronald.
- Hi, Brandon.
- You look so cute.
Yeah, I dressed myself.
- It's kind of a thing.
- Finally?
Yeah, you know,
Mom stopped doing it for me.
- You finally moved out of the house?
- Okay, I will fight you.
- How've you been?
- Doing good.
- How are you?
- I'm good.
What's new?
This.
- This? Yeah.
- This is nice. Yeah. I like this. [laughs]
[Brandon] I remember the first time
meeting you,
- and I remember how handsome you were.
- [Ronald] We met, like
This'll be the third Mardi Gras,
- but it was two Mardi Gras ago.
- Two Mardi Gras ago.
I'm so glad it's you. I'm happy.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Good.
- You look handsome.
- I try.
- I like this.
Have you been here before?
A couple of times?
I heard it's haunted.
- Is it?
- That's what I heard.
- Okay. It'll be fine.
- Somebody got murdered upstairs.
If I go to the bathroom
and don't come back, you'll know why.
I figure you just would have left.
[both laughing]
[Brandon] You got nice eyes.
- [laughs]
- Thank you, I appreciate that.
[Brandon] Yeah, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
- [Andrew] Are you from New Orleans?
- I am.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Born and raised. What about you?
- I'm not from here.
I, uh Born in Upstate New York
but grew up in Ohio
- Okay.
- and kind of a military brat,
moved around a bit.
I'm from Memphis originally.
- Memphis? Okay.
- Yeah.
When did you move to New Orleans?
Initially, the end of 1998.
It's been a while.
I actually came here
to visit some friends
- Okay.
- and I kind of caught the bug.
I also had, like, gone to a crawfish boil.
You know? And I got some of those
authentic New Orleans experiences
that, like--
Do you eat crawfish?
Oh, I eat crawfish.
Do you know how to eat them properly?
- I was taught by a Cajun.
- Okay.
AKA, my ex-boyfriend.
- Oh, okay.
- Who,
like, taught me the proper way,
and to suck the heads
and all of that, so
[laughs]
All right. Then he taught you well.
I think he did, I think he did.
Probably more than you need to.
Yeah, probably so.
- It's good to know. Um
- Yeah.
Are you involved in anything, like,
outside of, like, what you do?
- Yeah.
- I haven't asked you that. What do you do?
Let's go there first.
So I'm the creative director at an agency.
- Nice, okay.
- Yep.
Uh, it's a whole bunch of, like,
running around,
kind of being stressed out,
and then trying to get shit done.
[chuckles]
So I'm doing hair.
Nice. I can tell, it looks really good.
Thanks. Almost ten years.
It's not moving.
- Thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
- You can help me with mine.
- No [laughs]
- Wait, what do you do?
- Uh, I'm a teacher.
- Oh, wow.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- I love it.
- What grade?
- Kindergarten.
- What?
- [laughs]
That's fun.
- You like kids?
- So I'm also a creative director
of kids.
I'm running around
like I'm stressed out, too.
You know, we're creating stuff.
[laughs]
You must love kids.
- I do.
- That's awesome.
- What about you?
- I love kids.
You get to be someone's hero all the time,
- you know?
- Right.
I feel like kids need a champion,
and you get to be that person,
which is cool.
- [Jonathan L.] Wow.
- Yeah.
Oh, my gosh, I love it.
Well, what are you looking for?
I mean, everybody's looking
for the same thing, right?
- I don't think so.
- Really?
No, I've met some people
who are not looking for that.
[both laughing]
- You'd be surprised.
- Okay, okay.
I feel like
ultimately, I'm looking to find a partner.
- Okay.
- Like, I want
uh, somebody that I'll be with
for a long time.
- Okay. That's awesome.
- What about you?
- Same.
- Okay.
I guess now I'm in the stage of my life
where it's like,
- I want that next step, too.
- Okay.
Yeah.
- There's alignment there, I guess.
- Mm-hmm.
[laughs]
[chuckles]
I don't know if you remember
my Tinder profile.
I don't know, I swiped left.
No, you swiped right, 'cause we matched,
and we messaged, so don't [chuckles]
Don't play, 'cause I can
pull up the receipts now if I need to.
Um, but that was also three years ago,
so you might not remember.
Dementia sets in.
[gasps]
Close your mouth. Close your mouth.
[chuckles]
Do you like blue cheese olives?
- [clears throat]
- [laughs]
[exhales, clears throat]
Does that answer your question?
Olives? You don't like olives?
I love an olive.
There's something with
a blue cheese olive
- Really?
- Blue cheese Yeah.
I mean, and to each his own,
like, that
makes you happy.
Um, do you want to continue
this conversation at the table?
I do.
But I'm going to eat
my blue cheese olive first.
- [laughs]
- Okay, let's go.
Ugh, gross.
It's so good.
That was your last one.
Please don't order
anything blue cheese tonight.
[Brandon] Are you hungry?
I am kind of hungry. Are you hungry?
- I'm starving.
- [chuckles]
I mean, I won't say starving,
but definitely hungry.
- I heard the food's really good here.
- Yeah?
I heard good things.
- Take your little shawl off.
- [laughs]
Now, you know, like, I'm almost jealous,
or, like, wish I had enough confidence,
like, to be this.
It's like, how does this happen?
It's taken me a long time to
- be comfortable in my own skin.
- 'Kay.
But now I'm just kind of like,
I wear what I want to wear,
I want to do what I want to do.
And then if that person comes along
that wants to be have
the Jonathan experience, then great.
But if they don't, then their loss.
- The Jonathan experience?
- [chuckles]
Let's rewind and elaborate.
What is the Jonathan experience?
Do you have your own website?
- Is this like a catering company?
- No, just this. The Jonathan experience.
[both laughing]
[Brandon] What's your story?
[Justin] Uh
So, yeah, I grew up
in a single-parent household.
Mom, uh, kicked ass and
- I can tell.
- [laughs]
She did a really damn good job.
I'll have to thank her.
Um [laughing]
[chuckles]
[waiter] Hello, there.
I'll be your server this evening.
Amazing. Thank you.
- How are you?
- [waiter] Fantastic, thank you.
- There's some water for you.
- Thank you.
Do you know what you want, Ronald?
Um, can I do the shrimp cocktail?
Can we share that,
or do you want to get two?
- Absolutely, we could share.
- Okay, let's share that.
- Yes.
- Um, and then for dinner,
I'm gonna go with the iceberg wedge salad
with the grilled shrimp,
and no blue cheese, please.
Um, I'm going to do
the iceberg wedge salad
- Okay.
- with blue cheese.
- [grunts]
- [chuckles]
I had really big ears as a kid.
- [Justin] Uh-huh.
- Like, my head was really small.
[Justin laughs]
- So all you'd see walking down
- [laughs]
All you saw walking down the street
was these big satellites.
It was like, I had every
Everything in the book
they would tell me, like,
- "You catch satellite HBO?"
- Oh, no!
They would call me Dumbo, and
I remember going home crying,
and my dad would be like,
"It's okay, it's okay."
He's like, "Son,
if anyone tells you have Dumbo ears,
just say,
'You know, I may be Dumbo,
but I'm packing a jumbo.'"
[both laughing]
- Come on, Dad.
- I swear to God. I'm like,
"I don't think
you should be telling me this.
I'm 12."
[laughs]
If it was, um the right situation,
I absolutely would love to have kids.
- Yeah.
- I want the whole package.
I want what
You know, my parents had that.
My parents were My stepmom and my dad
were married for 35 years,
and I see that that could
It's possible.
- I feel the same way.
- Yeah.
- Obviously, I love kids. Um
- Yeah.
But again, you need
that person in your life
who wants to go to that next level.
I want to be wholeheartedly committed
to someone,
or a group of people. [chuckles]
Um
Are you into, like, thruples,
- open relationships?
- I don't know. Never done it.
But would I be open to doing it?
Absolutely.
- Okay. All right.
- Absolutely.
So it's important for me to be with
somebody that can express themselves
- Mm-hmm.
- and have an opinion about things,
and, like, be passionate about anything.
Like, whether it's teaching children
[chuckles] or whether it's
Whatever it is, I want somebody
to have that kind of fire
and that passion, or, like,
know where they stand.
Why do you think you're still single?
I think that a lot of people,
they get base level Ronald,
but until I'm very comfortable
in a situation,
you're not gonna get, like--
Why do people get base-level Ronald?
I always feel like
I get base-level Ronald.
Why-- Why would I share
more than base-level Ronald with you
until I get to know you?
- That's how you build relationships--
- That's also how you get hurt.
But what's wrong with getting hurt?
What's wrong with getting hurt?
A lot of things.
I know, but I feel like we build as people
when we get hurt sometimes.
I agree. I wholeheartedly agree. However,
I also
The person that I am is not
going to feel comfortable sharing
with someone until they get to that level.
How long do I have to be in your life
before you get to that level?
- Well, who knows?
- Fifteen, 20?
Brandon, you could be in my life
for two more days and get to that level,
the way you're pushing.
I mean, that's why I'm pushing.
I mean, maybe.
How was your meal?
It was really good.
- Mine was good, too.
- I enjoyed it.
Yeah? You want to go get a drink
somewhere else?
Yeah, I'd like that.
Yeah? Me too.
- Ready?
- Yeah, let's do it.
- [Jonathan L.] Can I smoke a cigarette?
- [Brandon groans]
I know. I'm sorry.
- It's like one of my
- [laughs]
I mean, it's not a pet peeve.
I mean, you got to do you,
but, yeah, go ahead.
It's not like my hugest
- Turn-offs?
- You do you, it's fine.
Yeah, it's one of my turn-offs,
but that's you, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- You gotta make yourself happy.
- That's your, like, after-dinner mint?
- Mm-hmm.
Smoking a cigarette?
- I know. I know.
- It's kind of a deal-breaker,
'cause, like, I'm not, like,
really attracted to it.
So no cigarettes, no blue cheese.
[Brandon] Any pets?
[Justin] So, pets, I love pets.
- [Brandon] Do you have any?
- [Justin] No.
- Unfortunately not. No.
- Do you have a plant?
So, my plant, Edgar,
- I kept him alive
- Hold Whoa, whoa.
First of all, you named the plant.
Go ahead, go ahead, I'm listening.
So
I kept Edgar alive
for about a year and a half.
What was Edgar before he died, evidently?
I don't know what he was.
[chuckles]
Was he, like, a tree? Was he a flower?
You have no idea?
It was just, like, a little plant.
[chuckles]
- Obviously I feel like--
- I definitely agree.
- I'm very attracted to you.
- I agree.
And it's just like, hmm
What do we do about it?
[Ronald] What's holding it back?
Yeah, that, too. What's holding it back?
Honestly, I feel like
it's New Orleans in general,
because I feel like if you make
one wrong turn or one wrong move,
your entire social life,
your entire life in general,
just blows up, because everybody is
in everybody's business.
I get that, but, like
I mean, we're not talking about
dating the entire city.
We're just talking about,
you know, two people.
- You and me?
- Yeah, you know, I mean
You know?
Um, yeah, I mean, I think
you're a great guy and all, I just
kind of feel like
we're on different pages.
- Yeah.
- Or want different things,
but I really, like, enjoyed
this experience, and, like
- Me, too.
- I had a good time, and I feel like
maybe I'll bring some cheetah out
- into my life next time.
- Yes!
You definitely brought
that little spice out, that little sass.
- [laughs]
- Like, I appreciate, like
I appreciate it. I appreciate you.
- I appreciate you.
- All right.
Thank you.
- Bye.
- Let's get you inside.
Okay.
Be careful heading home.
- Oh, I will.
- Don't stop at any stranger's house.
[laughs]
Bye.
You look very nervous right now.
[chuckles]
- Do I?
- Why are you nervous?
I'm not nervous.
I just, like
You are trouble,
- and I can sense that you're trouble.
- There's nothing wrong with that.
Sometimes if you can't be good,
you can be good at it.
- Right.
- Be good at it.
I'm good at lots of things.
I hate you so much
in this moment right now.
- Why?
- Because--
- Because you're vulnerable?
- I see what you're doing.
- I'm not doing anything.
- I pick up what you're putting down.
What am I putting down?
Funny.
Terrible human being.
What am I doing?
What are you doing right now?
I'm just trying to make a connection
with someone.
I hate you so much. You're [chuckles]
You're trouble.
- I'm not.
- And you know you're trouble.
- I'm not trouble.
- You know you're trouble.
[Brandon] Was that too hard?
Yes.
The most difficult thing I'll do in 2019.
I I hate you so much.
Trouble.
Big trouble.
You wanna go get a drink?
Yeah, let's go.
But see?
If you just stop talking
for a few minutes, it wouldn't be so bad.
If I just stop talking?
[indistinct chatter]
- This is really nice, huh?
- It's really beautiful. Yeah.
- Kind of like Gone with the Wind fabulous.
- [laughs]
Yeah.
Actually, grab a couple drinks,
be right back?
- Yeah, nice.
- Yeah? One second.
There you go, sir.
- Oh, nice, yeah.
- Very nice. Very nice.
Come around this way.
- I'll try not to spill it.
- I'll wait for you to sit.
Look at you,
that's alcohol abuse right there.
- Look at you!
- I can't help it, it's a mess.
What's wrong with you?
- Cheers.
- All right, cheers.
- That is a very, very high pour.
- Mmm.
And someone who can complement you
Mm-hmm.
bring something, a little spice.
Yes.
A good Cajun boy. [chuckles]
I-- I think a good Cajun boy
- could do that.
- I have a few friends.
Okay. Can you introduce me? [laughs]
All right, that's cool. No big deal.
- I'm just making fun.
- No, that's cool.
So do you feel like
whenever you find that relationship,
do you think that you
lose a part of yourself or no?
[Brandon] Mm-mm.
I've lost a part of myself
in, like, past relationships.
And I've found, like,
what makes me happy again,
and I feel like I'm at a good point
in my life now
- where, like, I won't lose that again.
- Yeah.
Like, it's a part of me.
- I get that.
- How about you?
I get that.
Well, I have nothing to base that off of.
- You've never been in a relationship?
- Mm-mm.
Ever?
- Relationships are terrifying.
- Mm-hmm.
And I think people get bored,
people get complacent and those things,
and they lose sight of themselves.
And, um
From my experience.
[Brandon] You don't have any experience,
so how do you know?
I have no experience
of my own relationships.
Just other people? People-watching?
No, not even people-watching.
I have first-hand experience
in other people's relationships.
- That sounds like a good story.
- From my younger days.
- Okay. Yes.
- Yeah, we won't From my younger days.
So do you want another?
- I think I'm good with one.
- Okay, all right.
- Perfect.
- One after-dinner drink is enough.
- Perfect.
- I'll wait till you finish drinking yours.
Um, then we might be here for a minute.
- I'm actually enjoying the company, so
- You're going slow?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
You don't have to rush through everything.
Just kinda
You're really cute.
[Justin] You're really cute, too.
- You think so?
- I do think so.
- I'm glad you do.
- [chuckles]
- I had a really good time tonight.
- Yeah?
Yeah, you know
[laughs]
Look at those palms.
Like, dark lines.
Mine are, like, very light.
- Lots of things fit together, I see.
- [chuckles] Yeah.
So,
you asked me earlier, um
- where I live.
- Yeah.
And I live in Lower Garden District,
but
Very recently, I got a job in Austin.
Nice.
- So
- That's awesome. Congrats for you.
- Yeah.
- [glass clinks]
When are you moving?
- Soon.
- Yeah?
Tomorrow?
- Soonish.
- Like, after this?
[laughs]
Do you need me to help you pack?
You're gonna help me pack?
I like to organize.
[chuckles]
- You ready to go?
- Yeah, absolutely.
- You want to walk downstairs?
- Sure.
Let me put these back for us,
before I spill the rest.
'Cause you'll probably spill it.
Yeah, exactly. I'll do my best.
- [Brandon] Are you ready?
- Yeah, let's go.
You dropping me off?
Yeah, you know.
That's how I roll.
I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- I like your beard.
Thank you.
Yeah, it's a little red.
- It's a little red.
- You got a little ginger in you?
Yeah, I do.
Do this again?
I hope so.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Okay.
Do you wanna get my number,
should I get your number?
- Yeah.
- Do you have your phone?
Yeah.
Your hand's getting dangerously close
to my inner thigh.
- [laughs]
- I mean
I like when you get nervous,
what it does to your laugh.
That's my normal generic laugh.
- It's not a nervous laugh.
- I know, but it's a really good laugh.
[laughs]
So
Oh, God.
When you were like,
"I'm moving to Austin," I'm like, "Oh
- This is what's wrong with him."
- I'm sorry.
- [groans]
- This is what's wrong.
Why does everything have to be
Why does it have to be so complicated?
Why can't it just be so easy?
All right, Lauryn Hill.
- I'm sorry.
- It's fine. It's not your fault.
I was happy for you that you're moving
to Austin and you're doing
big boss stuff.
- I'll be stuck in New Orleans, and
- [chuckles]
Why
So why do you do it?
[Brandon] And this is your stop.
All right, so, on that note [laughs]
- Thank you.
- Yeah, definitely.
Can we do this again soon?
I hope so.
- Text me.
- Yeah, for sure.
- Bye.
- Bye.
[kissing]
[Ronald] Text me when you make it home.
- I'll think about it.
- Uh-huh.
You'll think about it.
It better happen. If not,
I do know where you live. [laughs]
- Bye, Ronald.
- Bye, I'll see you later.
- All right.
- [car door closes]
Don't forget about me.
I won't.
We'll see.
[laughing]
You have a good laugh. One more.
- All right, you gotta go.
- All right.
Good night.
- Good night.
- [laughs]
["Catch Me" by Jonathan Murrill playing]
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Close to the edge ♪
I'm hearing your voice
It's calling out for me ♪
Never stop doing it but ♪
Wherever here are you last ♪
Make this last forever ♪
Save me somehow ♪
One step and ♪
Peekaboo.
- [laughs]
- Hi.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- You look cute.
- [laughs]
You look nice, too.
I try sometimes.
[Justin chuckles]
So I know you're getting ready to leave
on a new adventure to Austin.
- Yeah.
- But before you do,
I wanted to send you off
with two New Orleans classics.
What is that?
Number one, some beignets.
[laughs]
And then the second one
is me.
[both laughing]
You look really cute.
Wanna go listen to some music?
I would like that.
[Justin laughing]
Save me somehow ♪
One step and I'm going down ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Save me right now ♪
One step and I'm going down ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
["Don't Wanna Go Home"
by Tom Waits playing]
Oh, darling ♪
Since we met ♪
I can't sleep ♪
[mom] I would like to see my son
be happy and settled down.
He's had two really close relationships,
so I think he's scared to put his heart
back out there for it to be broken again.
Hey, how's it going?
And I don't wanna go home ♪
[man] I've known Brandon
for a few years now,
and I think he's so focused
on looking for the right guy
that he misses the great guys
that are right in front of him.
He is sarcastic
and he will poke fun at you,
but he's also probably
the nicest person that I've met,
and I don't know that he has found a match
yet that can complement him in both ways.
[song continues]
[mom] It's been very hard for him to
find the right one,
but I'm sure he's out there somewhere.
Hopefully he'll find true love soon.
Hi.
[Justin] Hey.
Are you my date?
[chuckles] I am. I'm Justin.
Justin, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- How are you?
I'm good.
You have a nice little smile.
I like this color.
Thank you. I like this jacket.
That's a good jacket.
You know,
it's a little somethin'-somethin'.
- [chuckles]
- You want to go inside?
- Yeah, let's do it.
- All right.
How are you feeling?
I'm good, how are you?
I'm a little nervous. It feels
But it's a good nervous, you know?
It'll be nice.
I'm excited, you know,
to get to know you more.
[Justin] Yeah. Into it.
Yeah? Let's see
what else you're into, then.
[both chuckling]
So nice in here.
It is so nice in here.
[grunts] I like your little purse.
Or is it a clutch?
I would say it's a clutch. [laughs]
I always gotta have a clutch.
[laughs] What do you have in here?
- Good evening.
- Hey!
- [bartender] How you doing?
- Good.
- What do you wanna drink?
- I love your hair.
- [bartender] Thank you.
- I'm gonna do a dirty, dirty martini.
- Dirty, dirty.
- With vermouth.
- You like it dirty?
- I do. [laughs]
Your drinks Just your drinks?
- Just my drinks.
- Okay.
Hi. [laughs]
How are you doing?
Hi, how are you?
- I'm good.
- You're so handsome.
- Thank you.
- Hi, Ronald.
- Hi, Brandon.
- You look so cute.
Yeah, I dressed myself.
- It's kind of a thing.
- Finally?
Yeah, you know,
Mom stopped doing it for me.
- You finally moved out of the house?
- Okay, I will fight you.
- How've you been?
- Doing good.
- How are you?
- I'm good.
What's new?
This.
- This? Yeah.
- This is nice. Yeah. I like this. [laughs]
[Brandon] I remember the first time
meeting you,
- and I remember how handsome you were.
- [Ronald] We met, like
This'll be the third Mardi Gras,
- but it was two Mardi Gras ago.
- Two Mardi Gras ago.
I'm so glad it's you. I'm happy.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Good.
- You look handsome.
- I try.
- I like this.
Have you been here before?
A couple of times?
I heard it's haunted.
- Is it?
- That's what I heard.
- Okay. It'll be fine.
- Somebody got murdered upstairs.
If I go to the bathroom
and don't come back, you'll know why.
I figure you just would have left.
[both laughing]
[Brandon] You got nice eyes.
- [laughs]
- Thank you, I appreciate that.
[Brandon] Yeah, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
- [Andrew] Are you from New Orleans?
- I am.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Born and raised. What about you?
- I'm not from here.
I, uh Born in Upstate New York
but grew up in Ohio
- Okay.
- and kind of a military brat,
moved around a bit.
I'm from Memphis originally.
- Memphis? Okay.
- Yeah.
When did you move to New Orleans?
Initially, the end of 1998.
It's been a while.
I actually came here
to visit some friends
- Okay.
- and I kind of caught the bug.
I also had, like, gone to a crawfish boil.
You know? And I got some of those
authentic New Orleans experiences
that, like--
Do you eat crawfish?
Oh, I eat crawfish.
Do you know how to eat them properly?
- I was taught by a Cajun.
- Okay.
AKA, my ex-boyfriend.
- Oh, okay.
- Who,
like, taught me the proper way,
and to suck the heads
and all of that, so
[laughs]
All right. Then he taught you well.
I think he did, I think he did.
Probably more than you need to.
Yeah, probably so.
- It's good to know. Um
- Yeah.
Are you involved in anything, like,
outside of, like, what you do?
- Yeah.
- I haven't asked you that. What do you do?
Let's go there first.
So I'm the creative director at an agency.
- Nice, okay.
- Yep.
Uh, it's a whole bunch of, like,
running around,
kind of being stressed out,
and then trying to get shit done.
[chuckles]
So I'm doing hair.
Nice. I can tell, it looks really good.
Thanks. Almost ten years.
It's not moving.
- Thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
- You can help me with mine.
- No [laughs]
- Wait, what do you do?
- Uh, I'm a teacher.
- Oh, wow.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- I love it.
- What grade?
- Kindergarten.
- What?
- [laughs]
That's fun.
- You like kids?
- So I'm also a creative director
of kids.
I'm running around
like I'm stressed out, too.
You know, we're creating stuff.
[laughs]
You must love kids.
- I do.
- That's awesome.
- What about you?
- I love kids.
You get to be someone's hero all the time,
- you know?
- Right.
I feel like kids need a champion,
and you get to be that person,
which is cool.
- [Jonathan L.] Wow.
- Yeah.
Oh, my gosh, I love it.
Well, what are you looking for?
I mean, everybody's looking
for the same thing, right?
- I don't think so.
- Really?
No, I've met some people
who are not looking for that.
[both laughing]
- You'd be surprised.
- Okay, okay.
I feel like
ultimately, I'm looking to find a partner.
- Okay.
- Like, I want
uh, somebody that I'll be with
for a long time.
- Okay. That's awesome.
- What about you?
- Same.
- Okay.
I guess now I'm in the stage of my life
where it's like,
- I want that next step, too.
- Okay.
Yeah.
- There's alignment there, I guess.
- Mm-hmm.
[laughs]
[chuckles]
I don't know if you remember
my Tinder profile.
I don't know, I swiped left.
No, you swiped right, 'cause we matched,
and we messaged, so don't [chuckles]
Don't play, 'cause I can
pull up the receipts now if I need to.
Um, but that was also three years ago,
so you might not remember.
Dementia sets in.
[gasps]
Close your mouth. Close your mouth.
[chuckles]
Do you like blue cheese olives?
- [clears throat]
- [laughs]
[exhales, clears throat]
Does that answer your question?
Olives? You don't like olives?
I love an olive.
There's something with
a blue cheese olive
- Really?
- Blue cheese Yeah.
I mean, and to each his own,
like, that
makes you happy.
Um, do you want to continue
this conversation at the table?
I do.
But I'm going to eat
my blue cheese olive first.
- [laughs]
- Okay, let's go.
Ugh, gross.
It's so good.
That was your last one.
Please don't order
anything blue cheese tonight.
[Brandon] Are you hungry?
I am kind of hungry. Are you hungry?
- I'm starving.
- [chuckles]
I mean, I won't say starving,
but definitely hungry.
- I heard the food's really good here.
- Yeah?
I heard good things.
- Take your little shawl off.
- [laughs]
Now, you know, like, I'm almost jealous,
or, like, wish I had enough confidence,
like, to be this.
It's like, how does this happen?
It's taken me a long time to
- be comfortable in my own skin.
- 'Kay.
But now I'm just kind of like,
I wear what I want to wear,
I want to do what I want to do.
And then if that person comes along
that wants to be have
the Jonathan experience, then great.
But if they don't, then their loss.
- The Jonathan experience?
- [chuckles]
Let's rewind and elaborate.
What is the Jonathan experience?
Do you have your own website?
- Is this like a catering company?
- No, just this. The Jonathan experience.
[both laughing]
[Brandon] What's your story?
[Justin] Uh
So, yeah, I grew up
in a single-parent household.
Mom, uh, kicked ass and
- I can tell.
- [laughs]
She did a really damn good job.
I'll have to thank her.
Um [laughing]
[chuckles]
[waiter] Hello, there.
I'll be your server this evening.
Amazing. Thank you.
- How are you?
- [waiter] Fantastic, thank you.
- There's some water for you.
- Thank you.
Do you know what you want, Ronald?
Um, can I do the shrimp cocktail?
Can we share that,
or do you want to get two?
- Absolutely, we could share.
- Okay, let's share that.
- Yes.
- Um, and then for dinner,
I'm gonna go with the iceberg wedge salad
with the grilled shrimp,
and no blue cheese, please.
Um, I'm going to do
the iceberg wedge salad
- Okay.
- with blue cheese.
- [grunts]
- [chuckles]
I had really big ears as a kid.
- [Justin] Uh-huh.
- Like, my head was really small.
[Justin laughs]
- So all you'd see walking down
- [laughs]
All you saw walking down the street
was these big satellites.
It was like, I had every
Everything in the book
they would tell me, like,
- "You catch satellite HBO?"
- Oh, no!
They would call me Dumbo, and
I remember going home crying,
and my dad would be like,
"It's okay, it's okay."
He's like, "Son,
if anyone tells you have Dumbo ears,
just say,
'You know, I may be Dumbo,
but I'm packing a jumbo.'"
[both laughing]
- Come on, Dad.
- I swear to God. I'm like,
"I don't think
you should be telling me this.
I'm 12."
[laughs]
If it was, um the right situation,
I absolutely would love to have kids.
- Yeah.
- I want the whole package.
I want what
You know, my parents had that.
My parents were My stepmom and my dad
were married for 35 years,
and I see that that could
It's possible.
- I feel the same way.
- Yeah.
- Obviously, I love kids. Um
- Yeah.
But again, you need
that person in your life
who wants to go to that next level.
I want to be wholeheartedly committed
to someone,
or a group of people. [chuckles]
Um
Are you into, like, thruples,
- open relationships?
- I don't know. Never done it.
But would I be open to doing it?
Absolutely.
- Okay. All right.
- Absolutely.
So it's important for me to be with
somebody that can express themselves
- Mm-hmm.
- and have an opinion about things,
and, like, be passionate about anything.
Like, whether it's teaching children
[chuckles] or whether it's
Whatever it is, I want somebody
to have that kind of fire
and that passion, or, like,
know where they stand.
Why do you think you're still single?
I think that a lot of people,
they get base level Ronald,
but until I'm very comfortable
in a situation,
you're not gonna get, like--
Why do people get base-level Ronald?
I always feel like
I get base-level Ronald.
Why-- Why would I share
more than base-level Ronald with you
until I get to know you?
- That's how you build relationships--
- That's also how you get hurt.
But what's wrong with getting hurt?
What's wrong with getting hurt?
A lot of things.
I know, but I feel like we build as people
when we get hurt sometimes.
I agree. I wholeheartedly agree. However,
I also
The person that I am is not
going to feel comfortable sharing
with someone until they get to that level.
How long do I have to be in your life
before you get to that level?
- Well, who knows?
- Fifteen, 20?
Brandon, you could be in my life
for two more days and get to that level,
the way you're pushing.
I mean, that's why I'm pushing.
I mean, maybe.
How was your meal?
It was really good.
- Mine was good, too.
- I enjoyed it.
Yeah? You want to go get a drink
somewhere else?
Yeah, I'd like that.
Yeah? Me too.
- Ready?
- Yeah, let's do it.
- [Jonathan L.] Can I smoke a cigarette?
- [Brandon groans]
I know. I'm sorry.
- It's like one of my
- [laughs]
I mean, it's not a pet peeve.
I mean, you got to do you,
but, yeah, go ahead.
It's not like my hugest
- Turn-offs?
- You do you, it's fine.
Yeah, it's one of my turn-offs,
but that's you, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- You gotta make yourself happy.
- That's your, like, after-dinner mint?
- Mm-hmm.
Smoking a cigarette?
- I know. I know.
- It's kind of a deal-breaker,
'cause, like, I'm not, like,
really attracted to it.
So no cigarettes, no blue cheese.
[Brandon] Any pets?
[Justin] So, pets, I love pets.
- [Brandon] Do you have any?
- [Justin] No.
- Unfortunately not. No.
- Do you have a plant?
So, my plant, Edgar,
- I kept him alive
- Hold Whoa, whoa.
First of all, you named the plant.
Go ahead, go ahead, I'm listening.
So
I kept Edgar alive
for about a year and a half.
What was Edgar before he died, evidently?
I don't know what he was.
[chuckles]
Was he, like, a tree? Was he a flower?
You have no idea?
It was just, like, a little plant.
[chuckles]
- Obviously I feel like--
- I definitely agree.
- I'm very attracted to you.
- I agree.
And it's just like, hmm
What do we do about it?
[Ronald] What's holding it back?
Yeah, that, too. What's holding it back?
Honestly, I feel like
it's New Orleans in general,
because I feel like if you make
one wrong turn or one wrong move,
your entire social life,
your entire life in general,
just blows up, because everybody is
in everybody's business.
I get that, but, like
I mean, we're not talking about
dating the entire city.
We're just talking about,
you know, two people.
- You and me?
- Yeah, you know, I mean
You know?
Um, yeah, I mean, I think
you're a great guy and all, I just
kind of feel like
we're on different pages.
- Yeah.
- Or want different things,
but I really, like, enjoyed
this experience, and, like
- Me, too.
- I had a good time, and I feel like
maybe I'll bring some cheetah out
- into my life next time.
- Yes!
You definitely brought
that little spice out, that little sass.
- [laughs]
- Like, I appreciate, like
I appreciate it. I appreciate you.
- I appreciate you.
- All right.
Thank you.
- Bye.
- Let's get you inside.
Okay.
Be careful heading home.
- Oh, I will.
- Don't stop at any stranger's house.
[laughs]
Bye.
You look very nervous right now.
[chuckles]
- Do I?
- Why are you nervous?
I'm not nervous.
I just, like
You are trouble,
- and I can sense that you're trouble.
- There's nothing wrong with that.
Sometimes if you can't be good,
you can be good at it.
- Right.
- Be good at it.
I'm good at lots of things.
I hate you so much
in this moment right now.
- Why?
- Because--
- Because you're vulnerable?
- I see what you're doing.
- I'm not doing anything.
- I pick up what you're putting down.
What am I putting down?
Funny.
Terrible human being.
What am I doing?
What are you doing right now?
I'm just trying to make a connection
with someone.
I hate you so much. You're [chuckles]
You're trouble.
- I'm not.
- And you know you're trouble.
- I'm not trouble.
- You know you're trouble.
[Brandon] Was that too hard?
Yes.
The most difficult thing I'll do in 2019.
I I hate you so much.
Trouble.
Big trouble.
You wanna go get a drink?
Yeah, let's go.
But see?
If you just stop talking
for a few minutes, it wouldn't be so bad.
If I just stop talking?
[indistinct chatter]
- This is really nice, huh?
- It's really beautiful. Yeah.
- Kind of like Gone with the Wind fabulous.
- [laughs]
Yeah.
Actually, grab a couple drinks,
be right back?
- Yeah, nice.
- Yeah? One second.
There you go, sir.
- Oh, nice, yeah.
- Very nice. Very nice.
Come around this way.
- I'll try not to spill it.
- I'll wait for you to sit.
Look at you,
that's alcohol abuse right there.
- Look at you!
- I can't help it, it's a mess.
What's wrong with you?
- Cheers.
- All right, cheers.
- That is a very, very high pour.
- Mmm.
And someone who can complement you
Mm-hmm.
bring something, a little spice.
Yes.
A good Cajun boy. [chuckles]
I-- I think a good Cajun boy
- could do that.
- I have a few friends.
Okay. Can you introduce me? [laughs]
All right, that's cool. No big deal.
- I'm just making fun.
- No, that's cool.
So do you feel like
whenever you find that relationship,
do you think that you
lose a part of yourself or no?
[Brandon] Mm-mm.
I've lost a part of myself
in, like, past relationships.
And I've found, like,
what makes me happy again,
and I feel like I'm at a good point
in my life now
- where, like, I won't lose that again.
- Yeah.
Like, it's a part of me.
- I get that.
- How about you?
I get that.
Well, I have nothing to base that off of.
- You've never been in a relationship?
- Mm-mm.
Ever?
- Relationships are terrifying.
- Mm-hmm.
And I think people get bored,
people get complacent and those things,
and they lose sight of themselves.
And, um
From my experience.
[Brandon] You don't have any experience,
so how do you know?
I have no experience
of my own relationships.
Just other people? People-watching?
No, not even people-watching.
I have first-hand experience
in other people's relationships.
- That sounds like a good story.
- From my younger days.
- Okay. Yes.
- Yeah, we won't From my younger days.
So do you want another?
- I think I'm good with one.
- Okay, all right.
- Perfect.
- One after-dinner drink is enough.
- Perfect.
- I'll wait till you finish drinking yours.
Um, then we might be here for a minute.
- I'm actually enjoying the company, so
- You're going slow?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
You don't have to rush through everything.
Just kinda
You're really cute.
[Justin] You're really cute, too.
- You think so?
- I do think so.
- I'm glad you do.
- [chuckles]
- I had a really good time tonight.
- Yeah?
Yeah, you know
[laughs]
Look at those palms.
Like, dark lines.
Mine are, like, very light.
- Lots of things fit together, I see.
- [chuckles] Yeah.
So,
you asked me earlier, um
- where I live.
- Yeah.
And I live in Lower Garden District,
but
Very recently, I got a job in Austin.
Nice.
- So
- That's awesome. Congrats for you.
- Yeah.
- [glass clinks]
When are you moving?
- Soon.
- Yeah?
Tomorrow?
- Soonish.
- Like, after this?
[laughs]
Do you need me to help you pack?
You're gonna help me pack?
I like to organize.
[chuckles]
- You ready to go?
- Yeah, absolutely.
- You want to walk downstairs?
- Sure.
Let me put these back for us,
before I spill the rest.
'Cause you'll probably spill it.
Yeah, exactly. I'll do my best.
- [Brandon] Are you ready?
- Yeah, let's go.
You dropping me off?
Yeah, you know.
That's how I roll.
I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- I like your beard.
Thank you.
Yeah, it's a little red.
- It's a little red.
- You got a little ginger in you?
Yeah, I do.
Do this again?
I hope so.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Okay.
Do you wanna get my number,
should I get your number?
- Yeah.
- Do you have your phone?
Yeah.
Your hand's getting dangerously close
to my inner thigh.
- [laughs]
- I mean
I like when you get nervous,
what it does to your laugh.
That's my normal generic laugh.
- It's not a nervous laugh.
- I know, but it's a really good laugh.
[laughs]
So
Oh, God.
When you were like,
"I'm moving to Austin," I'm like, "Oh
- This is what's wrong with him."
- I'm sorry.
- [groans]
- This is what's wrong.
Why does everything have to be
Why does it have to be so complicated?
Why can't it just be so easy?
All right, Lauryn Hill.
- I'm sorry.
- It's fine. It's not your fault.
I was happy for you that you're moving
to Austin and you're doing
big boss stuff.
- I'll be stuck in New Orleans, and
- [chuckles]
Why
So why do you do it?
[Brandon] And this is your stop.
All right, so, on that note [laughs]
- Thank you.
- Yeah, definitely.
Can we do this again soon?
I hope so.
- Text me.
- Yeah, for sure.
- Bye.
- Bye.
[kissing]
[Ronald] Text me when you make it home.
- I'll think about it.
- Uh-huh.
You'll think about it.
It better happen. If not,
I do know where you live. [laughs]
- Bye, Ronald.
- Bye, I'll see you later.
- All right.
- [car door closes]
Don't forget about me.
I won't.
We'll see.
[laughing]
You have a good laugh. One more.
- All right, you gotta go.
- All right.
Good night.
- Good night.
- [laughs]
["Catch Me" by Jonathan Murrill playing]
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Close to the edge ♪
I'm hearing your voice
It's calling out for me ♪
Never stop doing it but ♪
Wherever here are you last ♪
Make this last forever ♪
Save me somehow ♪
One step and ♪
Peekaboo.
- [laughs]
- Hi.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- You look cute.
- [laughs]
You look nice, too.
I try sometimes.
[Justin chuckles]
So I know you're getting ready to leave
on a new adventure to Austin.
- Yeah.
- But before you do,
I wanted to send you off
with two New Orleans classics.
What is that?
Number one, some beignets.
[laughs]
And then the second one
is me.
[both laughing]
You look really cute.
Wanna go listen to some music?
I would like that.
[Justin laughing]
Save me somehow ♪
One step and I'm going down ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Save me right now ♪
One step and I'm going down ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
All mistakes I've made ♪
You'll be there to catch me ♪